Chamomile Apple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Frosting

Tis the season for fall foliage, brisk breezes and apple picking. Clearly an autumn-themed cupcake is warranted.

Chamomile Apple Cupcakes:

1 1/4 c water
2 chamomile teabags

3-4 fresh tangy apples

1 stick butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags, and let steep for a good long time, at least a half hour. Basically, let it steep until the tea has cooled almost to room temperature. I think I left mine for 45 minutes or so (I was doing laundry at the time).

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with cupcake cups. Peel and slice apples, then chop them to your desired coarseness in your food processor. I like my fruit cupcakes to contain detectable bits of fruit, but if you prefer applesauce or puree, go for it.

Cream butter and sugar together in your stand mixer; add eggs, vanilla, and chopped apples. Whisk dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and slowly beat into to the apple mixture. Beat until batter is smooth (i.e. the only chunks in it are the apples). Remove tea bags and slowly add chamomile tea to batter -- careful, it splashes if your paddle blade is spinning too quickly.

Spoon batter into cupcake cups. (I filled mine half full but they didn't rise as much as I expected; I blame the tea.) Bake about 20-25 minutes; eyeball it; they're done when they're vaguely brown and smell heavenly.

Toasted Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 tbs butter
1 c coconut
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar
(or thereabouts)

Melt butter in a skillet, reduce heat to med-low, and toss coconut around until it turns crunchy and golden, but not brown.

Beat cream cheese in stand mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, then sugar to taste. Add toasted coconut to your liking, with frequent taste and texture checks. Chill frosting to firm it up, then pipe over cooled cupcakes and garnish with more toasted coconut. (Unless you used it all in the frosting, in which case, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.)